Menopausal Skincare

February 16, 2023 Juliette van der Meer

Much like puberty, menopause is a normal transitional stage, and usually occurs in women between the ages of 45 to 55 (although this can vary). During this stage, women's levels of estrogen and progesterone typically drop and vary wildly. These changes can manifest physically in various ways, and one of these changes is in the skin. Let's find out more.

What Happens To Our Skins As We Age?

The skin and the skin barrier dramatically alters with age. During the menopausal years, these changes can be more sudden.

Estrogen and Menopause

There is a decline in estrogen. Estrogen affects many things in the body, and the skin is one of them. Estrogen promotes water retention and plumpness in the skin by stimulating the production of certain proteins which keep the skin thicker and plumper. A decline in estrogen means the skin may become thinner and lose its plumpness. Therefore hydration is key!

Progesterone and Menopause

Progesterone levels also decrease. Progesterone is involved in sebum production in the skin. Sebum helps lock in moisture and strengthen the skin barrier, so a reduction of sebum leads to drier, more sensitive skin with a weakened skin barrier.

Collagen and Menopause

Collagen production is closely associated with estrogen levels. During menopause, collagen production decreases rapidly by about 30%, so the skin may sag or start to lose its structure.

The skin's oxidative defenses decrease, and oxidation is a leading cause of aging. You'll want to get those antioxidants in!

Melanin and Menopause

Melanin production decreases. Melanin causes skin pigmentation, including hyperpigmentation.

Hormone fluctuations and sun damage are some of the primary causes of age spots/hyperpigmentation. That's why, even though menopause reduces melanin production in the skin, the combination of erratic hormone levels and a weakened skin barrier can cause or worsen hyperpigmentation.

Characteristics of Menopausal Skin

The skin may experience a reduction in elasticity, increased sensitivity, possibly dryness and itching, as well as rosacea. The skin becomes more sensitive as the aging process diminishes the effectiveness of the hydrolipid layer and less sebum is produced.

Wounds may take longer to heal.

The aging process means that levels of natural moisturising factor in the skin fall. This deficiency can be ameliorated somewhat by using emollients, to help moisturise and retain moisture in the skin.

Yikes, that's quite a lot!

Preparing Our Skins For Menopause, And During Menopause

As we have seen, menopause causes some major changes in the skin, and most of them are not ideal for skin health or the skin barrier, despite being completely natural changes.But there are lots of things we can do to prepare our skins to age gracefully, as well as caring for the skin during menopause.

Get enough sleep!

As noted in our blog on holistic skincare, sleep is vitally important to our skin health as well as our general wellbeing. Sleeping well throughout life is a key factor in the skin's health and appearance.

Wear sunscreen

It's the number one anti aging thing to do, and it also protects skin in later years when it is more vulnerable.

Retinol products and retinyl palmitate are wonderful antiagers.

Experts say you can start using retinol products in your 20s but it's never too late to start! Retinols stimulate cell turnover and collagen production.

Avoid harsh and stripping soaps and cleansers.

Rather use gentle ones, or even oil cleanse instead of using surfactant based ones. Avoid perfumed products as these can irritate the skin.

Use calming products, as these are best for the skin's microbiome.
Regularly moisturise, and use hyaluronic acid and antioxidant rich ingredients.
Gentle exfoliation can still help with fine lines, and keep your skin looking radiant. Use AHAs for this.
Use ingredients that are high in antioxidants: Vitamin C and Vitamin E, as well as Co Enzyme Q10. An oil based Vitamin C serum can also help.
Emollients are great at moisturising and helping to lock in the skin's moisture.

Other preventive measures include avoiding over-heating the skin from very hot showers/baths, and maintaining effective nutrition.

Products to ingest

Phytoestrogens can be beneficial for the skin. Phytoestrogens are a large family of plant‐derived molecules possessing various degrees of estrogen‐like activity.
Soy plants contain a number of isoflavones which are considered phytoestrogens, and red clover has long been used to manage menopausal symptoms and may also be beneficial for the skin.
You can take collagen supplements to boost collagen levels in the body.

Use tools such as facial massagers, which can stimulate blood circulation and collagen production.

Roundup Of The Best Products For Menopausal Skincare

Vitamin C and Vitamin E, as well as Co Enzyme Q10.
Retinyl palmitate
Hyaluronic acid

Best oils and emollients for mature skin:

Argan, jojoba, macadamia, avocado

Very nourishing oils:

Prickly pear, wheat germ, macadamia, avocado, baobab

If you would like further reading on the topic, this is an excellent article to understand more:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7078862/